Honor Flight celebrates milestone with today's flight

By NANCY TANKERTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 11:31 p.m.

After seven years escorting thousands of World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to see the National World War II Memorial via the Honor Flight Network, Hendersonville businessman Jeff Miller has one specific memory that particularly touches his heart.

“There was a gentleman named Curtis Green who was a World War II veteran, and his son had joined the military because he was proud of what his dad had accomplished in the war,” Miller said. “The son went into Vietnam, where he was killed. They never recovered his body.”

During the trip to Washington, Curtis was not doing so well, Miller said. He was in a wheelchair all day as they toured the World War II Memorial and other Washington landmarks.

Then the group headed to the Vietnam memorial.

“There are over 58,000 names of those killed in action on that memorial, and his son’s name is on that wall,” Miller recalled.

Green had never had the chance to see and touch his son’s name on the memorial. When they arrived at the somber scene, “Curtis reached right out and touched his son’s name from the wheelchair.”

It was an emotion-packed moment that made Miller feel like Green could finally have “some closure.”

Another flight leaving today — a one-day round-trip from GSP International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — will be filled with emotion for many of the 80 to 90 veterans on board. The flight marks the 300th U.S. Airways flight to bring veterans to Washington as part of the Honor Flight Network.

Seven years ago, Miller formed HonorAir to fly veterans to see the new World War II Memorial, along with other D.C. landmarks, with all expenses paid. He had been inspired by a similar idea by Ohio pilot Earl Morse. Each man was dedicated to the idea of getting members of the aging Greatest Generation to the memorial to see the nation’s testament to their bravery and deeds.

Over the years, each man’s organization grew, until they merged to form the Honor Flight Network in 2007. Together, the men have organized hundreds of flights on numerous airlines that have transported more than 100,000 World War II veterans to Washington.

More than 5,200 veterans from North Carolina have made the trip, Miller said. Most are in their 90s. The oldest so far has been 103.

Miller has never forgotten Green. Back home, months after his trip, Miller saw Green and thought it seemed as though his health had improved.

“It was like a weight had been taken off his shoulders. I do believe that that trip gave him a different outlook. That’s one memory I’ll never forget,” Miller said.

Green, now 86, also remembers that day, although he said he’s not sure if “closure” really exists.

Seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the first time with his son’s name — Curtis Green Jr. — on it was “very emotional,” he said Wednesday. He paused, awash in memories.

His son was a sergeant in the Green Berets during Vietnam. Many veterans who did return home from Vietnam were greeted with anger. Curtis Green Sr. had served in an U.S. Army police battalion stationed in Italy during World War II. He recalls returning home to little fanfare.

“When we got home from Europe, nobody paid a lot of attention to us, and most of us weren’t looking for any attention, we just wanted to get back to school and work,” Green Sr. said. “Seeing the World War II Memorial and all of the references to the things that happened from ’41 to ’45 — it was almost like a homecoming. Then seeing the Vietnam Memorial — it was very quiet and emotional. There were a lot of people there, but there was no noise. It was very emotional.”

Last flight from WNC

Today’s flight is set to deliver what might be the last group of World War II veterans from the Western North Carolina region — at least those who are well enough to take the trip.

Among those who signed up to go are four residents — two men and two women — of Trinity View Retirement Center in Arden.

Evy Haggart, 91, served as a second lieutenant nurse in the war, stationed in Europe.

“We were first stationed in England, with the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Then, shortly after D-Day, after the invasion, we moved to France to establish a hospital there,” she said. “Then we moved across France and we were near the Battle of the Bulge, which was near the end of the war.”

She has a lot of memories of the war, “both good and bad. There were happy times as well as it all being hard work,” she said.

The night before the trip, Haggart said she was packed and excited.

“I have been to Washington before, but I’m looking forward to being with a group of World War II veterans,” she said. “Everyone seems so friendly and nice, and it’s a great honor.”

Haggart added that she hasn’t seen the memorial yet.

“I’ve been to Arlington (National Cemetery) and the Vietnam memorial. I understand they also have a nurses’ monument now,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the whole trip. It’s very impressive.”

Fellow U.S. Army Nurse Corps. member and Trinity resident Estelle Sheldon, 92, said she’s also looking forward to the trip, which she had postponed for a while.

“I didn’t really expect to ever go, because I have been to D.C. before and I’ve seen the World War II memorial, so I thought there were other veterans before me that should go,” she said. “The memorial was presented in such a way that it was very personal. It was not something that I just wanted to see and walk away from. I stood there for hours reading names and what they had written there. It was such a personal thing to go and see it.”

When a friend encouraged her to take today’s trip, “One of the things I thought of straight off was wouldn’t it be fun if I met up with people I’d been in the service with and we’d forgotten each other. That would really be exciting to see someone you served with back then.”

“Back then” was more than 65 years ago. Sheldon spent most of her service stateside at the New York Port of Embarkation along the Hudson River.

“I was a medical attendant for those coming back from the war. I worked on transport ships and would visit with service members’ family and help take care of them, and take them to be with fathers or husbands returning from the war,” she said.

The thing that she remembers most about the war was that “It was so long.”

Looking forward to today’s trip, she said seeing the memorial again “will recall a lot of emotions and help me remember better.”

Harry Hill, 90, also considered going on previous Honor Flight Network trips, but never pulled the trigger until recently, when his daughter encouraged him to go. In the war, Hill served as a U.S. Navy lieutenant junior grade, working as an aviation supply officer.

“I was stationed at Pearl Harbor for two years, about two years after the attack,” he said. “I was at Ford Island, which is in the middle of Pearl Harbor. What got me the most was the fact that the U.S.S. Arizona was right outside our officers’ quarters. The people who lost their lives in Pearl Harbor — I think about them.”

In Washington, he wants to see the World War II Memorial for the first time, as well as the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington.

The fourth Trinity resident to complete the group is Donald Ross, 90. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army.

He remembers fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in Europe.

“We were cut off because of the fog and the bad weather and we almost got stopped for a while there by the Germans,” he said. “All they wanted to do was cut off our supply route, but the weather cleared and we sent in our planes on top of them.”

When asked about military honors he received, he said, “I have a bunch of ribbons and stuff, but I don’t know what they all mean. I wasn’t looking for any honors or anything else. I was just doing my duty. It sounds kind of corny but it was the truth. I’m the oldest of 13 kids, and four of us were in the Army at the same time.”

Ross is looking forward to meeting fellow veterans on the trip. He also seemed to be looking for a bit of a distraction after a recent heartache. His fiancée, 65, passed away suddenly a few months ago due to a heart problem. After her death, he moved from Atlanta to Western North Carolina to be close to his daughter.

He hasn’t seen the memorial yet, “so I’m quite eager to go,” he said. “I don’t get excited about too much of anything anymore. I’m not against the world or anything; I just don’t have the energy to get excited anymore.”

Still, he added, “Just being recognized for your service is a very nice thing to have happen to you.”

<p>After seven years escorting thousands of World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to see the National World War II Memorial via the Honor Flight Network, Hendersonville businessman Jeff Miller has one specific memory that particularly touches his heart.</p><p>“There was a gentleman named Curtis Green who was a World War II veteran, and his son had joined the military because he was proud of what his dad had accomplished in the war,” Miller said. “The son went into Vietnam, where he was killed. They never recovered his body.”</p><p>During the trip to Washington, Curtis was not doing so well, Miller said. He was in a wheelchair all day as they toured the World War II Memorial and other Washington landmarks.</p><p>Then the group headed to the Vietnam memorial.</p><p>“There are over 58,000 names of those killed in action on that memorial, and his son's name is on that wall,” Miller recalled.</p><p>Green had never had the chance to see and touch his son's name on the memorial. When they arrived at the somber scene, “Curtis reached right out and touched his son's name from the wheelchair.”</p><p>It was an emotion-packed moment that made Miller feel like Green could finally have “some closure.”</p><p>Another flight leaving today — a one-day round-trip from GSP International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — will be filled with emotion for many of the 80 to 90 veterans on board. The flight marks the 300th U.S. Airways flight to bring veterans to Washington as part of the Honor Flight Network.</p><p>Seven years ago, Miller formed HonorAir to fly veterans to see the new World War II Memorial, along with other D.C. landmarks, with all expenses paid. He had been inspired by a similar idea by Ohio pilot Earl Morse. Each man was dedicated to the idea of getting members of the aging Greatest Generation to the memorial to see the nation's testament to their bravery and deeds.</p><p>Over the years, each man's organization grew, until they merged to form the Honor Flight Network in 2007. Together, the men have organized hundreds of flights on numerous airlines that have transported more than 100,000 World War II veterans to Washington.</p><p>More than 5,200 veterans from North Carolina have made the trip, Miller said. Most are in their 90s. The oldest so far has been 103.</p><p>Miller has never forgotten Green. Back home, months after his trip, Miller saw Green and thought it seemed as though his health had improved.</p><p>“It was like a weight had been taken off his shoulders. I do believe that that trip gave him a different outlook. That's one memory I'll never forget,” Miller said.</p><p>Green, now 86, also remembers that day, although he said he's not sure if “closure” really exists.</p><p>Seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the first time with his son's name — Curtis Green Jr. — on it was “very emotional,” he said Wednesday. He paused, awash in memories.</p><p>His son was a sergeant in the Green Berets during Vietnam. Many veterans who did return home from Vietnam were greeted with anger. Curtis Green Sr. had served in an U.S. Army police battalion stationed in Italy during World War II. He recalls returning home to little fanfare.</p><p>“When we got home from Europe, nobody paid a lot of attention to us, and most of us weren't looking for any attention, we just wanted to get back to school and work,” Green Sr. said. “Seeing the World War II Memorial and all of the references to the things that happened from '41 to '45 — it was almost like a homecoming. Then seeing the Vietnam Memorial — it was very quiet and emotional. There were a lot of people there, but there was no noise. It was very emotional.”</p><p>Last flight from WNC</p><p>Today's flight is set to deliver what might be the last group of World War II veterans from the Western North Carolina region — at least those who are well enough to take the trip.</p><p>Among those who signed up to go are four residents — two men and two women — of Trinity View Retirement Center in Arden.</p><p>Evy Haggart, 91, served as a second lieutenant nurse in the war, stationed in Europe.</p><p>“We were first stationed in England, with the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Then, shortly after D-Day, after the invasion, we moved to France to establish a hospital there,” she said. “Then we moved across France and we were near the Battle of the Bulge, which was near the end of the war.”</p><p>She has a lot of memories of the war, “both good and bad. There were happy times as well as it all being hard work,” she said.</p><p>The night before the trip, Haggart said she was packed and excited.</p><p>“I have been to Washington before, but I'm looking forward to being with a group of World War II veterans,” she said. “Everyone seems so friendly and nice, and it's a great honor.”</p><p>Haggart added that she hasn't seen the memorial yet.</p><p>“I've been to Arlington (National Cemetery) and the Vietnam memorial. I understand they also have a nurses' monument now,” she said. “I'm looking forward to the whole trip. It's very impressive.”</p><p>Fellow U.S. Army Nurse Corps. member and Trinity resident Estelle Sheldon, 92, said she's also looking forward to the trip, which she had postponed for a while.</p><p>“I didn't really expect to ever go, because I have been to D.C. before and I've seen the World War II memorial, so I thought there were other veterans before me that should go,” she said. “The memorial was presented in such a way that it was very personal. It was not something that I just wanted to see and walk away from. I stood there for hours reading names and what they had written there. It was such a personal thing to go and see it.”</p><p>When a friend encouraged her to take today's trip, “One of the things I thought of straight off was wouldn't it be fun if I met up with people I'd been in the service with and we'd forgotten each other. That would really be exciting to see someone you served with back then.”</p><p>“Back then” was more than 65 years ago. Sheldon spent most of her service stateside at the New York Port of Embarkation along the Hudson River.</p><p>“I was a medical attendant for those coming back from the war. I worked on transport ships and would visit with service members' family and help take care of them, and take them to be with fathers or husbands returning from the war,” she said.</p><p>The thing that she remembers most about the war was that “It was so long.”</p><p>Looking forward to today's trip, she said seeing the memorial again “will recall a lot of emotions and help me remember better.”</p><p>Harry Hill, 90, also considered going on previous Honor Flight Network trips, but never pulled the trigger until recently, when his daughter encouraged him to go. In the war, Hill served as a U.S. Navy lieutenant junior grade, working as an aviation supply officer.</p><p>“I was stationed at Pearl Harbor for two years, about two years after the attack,” he said. “I was at Ford Island, which is in the middle of Pearl Harbor. What got me the most was the fact that the U.S.S. Arizona was right outside our officers' quarters. The people who lost their lives in Pearl Harbor — I think about them.”</p><p>In Washington, he wants to see the World War II Memorial for the first time, as well as the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington. </p><p>The fourth Trinity resident to complete the group is Donald Ross, 90. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army.</p><p>He remembers fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in Europe.</p><p>“We were cut off because of the fog and the bad weather and we almost got stopped for a while there by the Germans,” he said. “All they wanted to do was cut off our supply route, but the weather cleared and we sent in our planes on top of them.”</p><p>When asked about military honors he received, he said, “I have a bunch of ribbons and stuff, but I don't know what they all mean. I wasn't looking for any honors or anything else. I was just doing my duty. It sounds kind of corny but it was the truth. I'm the oldest of 13 kids, and four of us were in the Army at the same time.”</p><p>Ross is looking forward to meeting fellow veterans on the trip. He also seemed to be looking for a bit of a distraction after a recent heartache. His fiancée, 65, passed away suddenly a few months ago due to a heart problem. After her death, he moved from Atlanta to Western North Carolina to be close to his daughter. </p><p>He hasn't seen the memorial yet, “so I'm quite eager to go,” he said. “I don't get excited about too much of anything anymore. I'm not against the world or anything; I just don't have the energy to get excited anymore.”</p><p>Still, he added, “Just being recognized for your service is a very nice thing to have happen to you.”</p>